Submarine salvage and recovery apparatus



May 22, 1934. s. LAKE SUBMARINE SALVAGE AND RECOVERY APPARATUS 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 27, 1931 VENTOR May 22, 1934.

s. LAKE SUBMARINE SALVAGE AND RECOVERY APPARATUS Filed Oct. 27, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet 2 May 22, 1934. K

sUBuARINE SALVAGE AND RECOVERY APPARATUS Filed 001;. 27, 1931 sSheets-Sheet 5 v VENTOR $1- l atented May 22 UNlT TES PA ri-r Fries?SUBMARINE SALVAGE AND RECOVERY APPARATUS 10 Claims.

This invention relates to a submarine salvage and recovery apparatus andembodies certain improvements over my previous inventions of a similarnature, especially that of my pending application Serial No. 320,318filed November 19,

The present improvements will permit of still greater safety and morerapid recovery of material due to greater flexibility of the apparatusand will also permit of conducting salvage operations in rougher seasthan in the previous designs, and will increase the efficiency ofdeepsea submarine operations in general, as will be more fullydescribed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is apartial deck plan of a surface vessel showing the forward part of avessel with a portion of the deck removed and submarine salvagingapparatus attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the bow portion of a surface vessel withthe salvage apparatus of the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2a is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional View illustrating themode of operating the salvage apparatus in connection with a sunkenvessel.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the cushioning wheelsin position on fender.

Figure 4 shows an attachment for cutting through the bottom plates of asunken ship.

Figure 5 shows the same attachment cutting through the side plates of aship.

One of the particular objects to be attained in this invention is toenable an operator in an observation compartment to direct the end of alarge suction pipe down into the hold of a sunken vessel and control anddirect its movement into all parts of the hold without the operatorbeing subject to hydrostatic pressure, or in danger of being drawn bythe suction of a pump against or into the open end of the pipe, whichhas-happened when divers have attempted to control the end of largesuction pipes in pumping materials out of the holds of sunken vessels.

The preferred construction, to accomplish this purpose, comprises'a pairof tubular arms 1 and 2 pivoted to the hull of the vessel 'A at points 3and 4, thus permitting the outer or free ends of the tubular arms torise and fall vertically with the waves of the sea, but holding themagainst horizontal movement and in alignment with the keel of thesurface vessel so that the surface vessel can be steered by the rudderat its stern in accordance withcommon practice.

The arms are joined at their outer ends by a hollow tubular section 5which forms a water ballast compartment; and means, not shown, areprovided for filling this compartment when it is desired to submerge thearms, and for forcing the water out when it is desired to have the armsin a floating position.

Cross members 6 and 7 are bolted together and held in position bywatertight swivel jointed connections, which permit of partial rotationof the members 6 and '7 in a vertical plane.

The cross member 6 is in the form of a T, which is open to arm 1, butblanked off to member 7, and the side outlet from the T is connected toa hollow ball-and-socket joint 10, through which access is had totubular section 11 which, in turn, gives access to the observation andcontrol chamber 12. Various bulkheads and doors in the tubular sectionsform air locks and decompression chambers, whichare not shown, as a somewhat similar arrangement is shown and described in 'more detail in myco-pending appli-' cation Serial No. 320,318.

Cross member '7 is in the shape of a modified T, with the side outletcurved to give a free flow of the materials being pumped through it.This cross member is connected to a hollow ball-andsocket joint '12which carries one portion 13 of the suction pipe, with which the otherportion 14 is in telescoping engagement. Any suitable means, not shown,may be used to extend or contract this extensible suction pipe. A bend,as .at 15, may be usedfto hold the suction pipe in close proximity tothe observation chamber if desired to facilitate its control.

Arm 2 is utilized as a suction pipe through which the materials aredelivered after passing up through the ball joint 12 and cross member'7, then through the bend 15 into the arm 2; and, if desired, I maysurround arm 2 by a larger diameter tubular section as. at 16, the spaceformed between the two tubes being utilized to provide water ballastcompartments to thus augment the positive or negative buoyancy of thearms, which is essential to suit the various conditions of tidalcurrents, condition of sea, etc. I use the usual'valves for admittingwater and air to the compartment to fill and empty the same, as has beenfully described in my previous submarine patents and as is now wellknown in the art, sohave not considered it necessary to show these meansin detail. A similar outer tube 16 on arm 1 may be provided for the samepurpose.

Arm 1 is made large enough for an operator to pass to and from theobservation and control chamber while the same is submerged, so as toprevent the possibility of the operator being trapped in case theobservation compartment should become entangled in the sunken vessel,although normally, access to the observation chamber would be throughthe trap door 17, which projects above the surface of the sea, when thearms are floating on the surface, as shown in Figure 2.

I also provide a water ballast compartment 18 around tube 11 for thepurpose of submerging the observation chamber by means independent ofthe water ballast compartment around arms 1 and 2 and tubular section 5,as in shallow work it is not necessary to submerge the side arms 1 and2. With the chamber 12 submerged as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2a,the diver may pass in and out through the trap door 19, the waterbeingprevented fro'm'entering by the air pressure maintained in thechamber, When the observation chamber is lowered'into'averticalposition, as'shown in section in Figure 2a, trap door 20 is thenu'sed topermit passage of divers.

21 is "a centrifugal pump,preferably located in the'hold of the surfacevessel, and arm 2 is connected with this pump through the side of thevessel by a watertight swivel 'oint, asindi'cated.

Conducting salvage operations in rough weather, in theopen sea, isusually considered very'h'azardous work, more especially so where it isnecessary to have vesselslying side by'side, as is the practice whencoal or other bulky cargoes are being'reclaimedfrom sunken wrecks; thishazard being due to' the rolling'and crashing together of the surfacevessels. Therefore, one'of theimportant functions of 'my'presentinvention is'to prevent the rolling of the surfacevessel carrying thesubmersible equipment and to provide'it with suitable cushioning meansto prevent'the attendant ves'sel'from injuring the'salvagingvessel dueto its rolling. In my ejXperiI-nental work I have found all rollingceases when the observation chamber is well under water, due, probably,to the fact that the wave motion is only on or' near the surface, whilethe submarine currentflows only inonedirectionduringfloodtide and inanother direction during'ebbtide. The accesstub'e and observationchamber, being projected down into. the quiet under sea,'the"momentaryrise and fall of the turbulent surface waters cannot move theobservation chamber sidewayaand as itis securely attached to the sidesof the surface vessel the surface vessel cannot roll. I also findthepitching of the surface vessel'is .very"m,aterially reduced, due to thedamping'e'lfect of'the submerged access tube and observation chamber.The surface vessel therefore becomes a very stable platform and enablesa derrick'to be operated in hoisting out cargo, when it would beimpossible were it not for-the stabilizing effect of the attachedsubmarine apparatus. This greatstability also enables me to applyfendersand cushion: ing means to'the sides of the surface vessel so thatcargo-receiving ships canbe safely brought alongside and moored, eveninrough weather, when otherwise it would'beimpossible'.

22,23, 24 and 25 are fenders extending outboard of the surface vessel asuilicient distance toiprevent a vessel alongside contacting with armsland 2. These fenders are brackete'darrd-tied to heavy athWartShip'sup'prts-ZG and' 2'7, and are also well braced otherwise tohold them'in theirproper positions;

28 and 29 are pneumatic cushioned wheels which are permitted to revolveand also to slide up and down the tubular side fenders, see particularlyFigure 8 which shows more in detail the method of construction andattachment, and in which 28 is the pneumatic-tired wheel and 28a theflanged hub on which the tire 28 is mountedand held in position byflanged ring 28b. A circular cross head 39 is mounted on a piston rod 31secured to piston 32 which plays up and down in cylinder 83 carried by acasting 34 which is secured to the inside of the tubular fender 22, Anair pipe 35 led to any suitable airsupply on the vessel admits airthrough port 36 to the underside of the piston 32. The cross head 30 isconnected to a ring outside the tubular fender by bolts extendingthrough vertical slots cut in the fender as shown, and sufiicient airpressure is maintained to counterbalance the weight of the cushioningwheel 28, or if two wheels are used, as shown in Figure 2, the pistonrod is extended upward and through the means of anadditionalcrossheadand ring, not shown in Figure '3, and sufficient airpressure is introduced to supporttheweight of both wheels.

37 represents a portion of the side of an attending vessel mooredalongside, which vessel may be rolling or pitching and moving forwardand backward in'relation to the salvaging vessel which is not rolling orpitching to the same extent. As the attendant vessel bears against thecushioned wheels she can readily be hauled into such position forward oraft "in relation to the salvaging vessel, as is necessary for properlyloading the recovered cargo, and at the same time the cushioned wheelsmay slide up and down'on the tubular fenders to accommodate'the roll ofthe attendant-vessel, the said'vessel being held in close contactto thesalvaging'vessel, thus preventing the pounding of the vessels together.

In Figure 211, B represents a coal barge sunk in shallow water. I willnow describe the method of mooring the salvaging vessel over such awreck and rapidly recovering its cargo of coal.

The salvaging vessel is first moored over the sunken vessel with fourmooring lines, two of which lineslead'forward of the bow, as-indicatedat 38, and are so connected to the anchor windlass or other winches onthe deck of the'vessel that they may be taken in or paid out as desired,and two similar mooring lines lead aft in approximately the same manner.All 'of these mooring lines are attached to anchors. The vessel may now'be moved "forward or aft or sidewise as desired. It will be noticedthat these mooringlineslead through fair leads 39 secured at thebottomofthe tubular fenders "22and 24. Thestern mooring lines lead from thestern fenders (not shown) in a similarimanner, and this isimportant, asit places'the mooring lines below the keel of the "attendingcargo-receiving vessels and tug boats, so there is nodangeroffoul-ingtheir propellers, etc., when coming alongside thesalvagingvessel. I have arranged the lower ends of theiforward andafterfenders-by which the mooring lines are carried so they can be swungup above the water line when not in use, as shown by dotted linesatf22a.

To place the salvaging vessellthei master diver .now goes into theobservation chamber 12 through hatch l'l'an'd admits water into theballast compartment surrounding access tube 1 1, which causes thecompartment-to-sink to any 'desired angle in relation to the side arms 1and '2, the depthtowhich it-will sink being controlled by lines 40 and41', the inboard ends of in Figure 2a; and the divers door 20 maythen beopened to permit a diver to leave the vessel if desired, as is commonpractice and has been fully described in my pending application SerialNo. 320,318, but if the cargo is coal, cereals, phosphate rock, brick orother kinds of materials that can be more rapidly recovered by thepumping process, the suction pipe 14 is lowered to the proper distanceabove the cargo and the pump started. Heretofore it has been necessaryto use a diver to move theend of the suction.

pipe about to collect the coal, and this has limited the size of pumpand suction pipe to the size a diver could handle and control. In thedesign I contemplate using, however, a large size pump and a suctionpipe capable of handling large objects, e. g. 20 or more-in diameter maybe used and, obviously, it would be unsafe for a diver to be anywherenear the end of such a suction pipe, as the velocity of the water wouldbe sufficient to draw him into it. Therefore, it is necessary to be ableto control the position of the end of the pipe by means of power,controlled from a safe distance. I have provided for this purpose sidelines 42 which passup through blocks or fair leads 43 and 44 attached tothe side arms 1 and 2,v and from the fair leads, these lines run toelectrically operated winches on the deck of the salvage vessel. Bymeans of electric control switches placed in the observation and controlcompartment, this compartment, and the suction pipe 14 with it, may becaused to swing fore and aft or athwartships at the will of theoperator, within certain limits determined by the swivel joints 8 and 9and ball-and-socket joints 10 and 12, and by lowering the controlcompartment or the portion 14 of the suction pipe the entire contents ofthe hold of a sunken vessel may rapidly be delivered to the surfacevessel provided to receive it.

In greater dephths than that shown in Figure 2a it will be necessary touse additional water to submerge the side arms 1 and 2 to reach thesunken vessel, and this is readily accomplished by admitting water tothe ballast compartments in the space surrounding arms 1 and 2 and insection 5, the depths of submergence being controlled by lines 45 and 46which are carried on drums 4'7 and 48. I prefer to have these drums alsoelectrically operated so that the arms and attached observation andcontrol compartment may also be under the direct control of the masterdiver in the control compartment.

In Figure 4 I have diagrammatically shown a ship bottom up which makesit necessary to cut through the bottom or side plating of the ship togain access to her cargo. To accomplish this I install an attachmentconsisting of a revolving head 49 large enough to contain an operatorand an electric motor to drive the various tools needed to cut throughthe plating of a ship.

Figure 5 shows the attachment with a circular saw in the act of sawingthrough the side plating of a ship lying on the-bottom'of the sea at aconsiderable angle. The revolving head 49 is mounted on a telescopic arm50 extending out from the T shaped casting 51, from which T shapedcasting a pipe 52 affords a passageway to aball joint 53, the flanges ofwhich may be bolted to the observation and control chamber 12 over thedivers exit door 19, as shown in Figure 5 or over door opening 20, asshown in Figure 4. 54 indicates a metal circular saw, which is driven bythe motor and suitable gearing in the revolvable head 49. I providesuction discs 55 and 56-which may be brought in contact with the metalplates and the water pumped out from inside the discs, when they willhold the attachment in a rigid position while the revolvable head withits saw is being traversed back and forth, as indicated by the dottedpositions in Figure4. The head 49 shown in full andin dottecl'lines inFigure 5 illustrates the flexibility of the attachment which, byco-operative movement of the guide arms 1 and 2, enable tubularsection11.

to'be brought to bear upon and cut through the plating of a sunken ship,no matter in what position the ship may lie. 7

Many difierent kinds of tools may be projected through watertightstuffing boxes extending around'the shell of the revolvable head. Adrill is indicated'at 5'7, opposite the saw 54, and electric cuttingtorches, reciprocating saws and other devices may be added as desired,as disclosed in more detail in my copending application SerialNo.'583,047, filed Dec. 24, 1931, patented Mar. 27, 1934, No. 1,952,080.

In pumping coal in muddy waters it is difiicult to judge the properdistance to maintain the end of the suction pipe above the coal; if itis too far away too little coal is pumped, if too close, the suctionpipe is choked or the pump clogged and stopped with too much coal. I mayattach an auxiliary observation and control chamber direct to the end ofthe suction pipe as shown by dotted lines 58 in Figure 2a.This'observation and control chamber may be simplyin the form of a cagein which a diver may go so as not to be drawn into the pipe by thesuction, or it may be a small pressure resisting compartment in whichthe attendant may,by having circulating air lines and suitable controlswitches, d rect and control the movement'of the end of the suction pipeto place it in its most advantageous position. The use of aquascopes orsounding rods extending'out through a stufling box, will give theattendant knowledge of the proper distance to maintain the end of thepipe above the bed of coal for efficient pumping.

It is obvious that many modifications may be made in the design ofapparatus shown herein and in the method of procedure in operating onsunken ships and recovering their cargoes, and yet be within the spiritof the invention and the scope of the following claims. For example, inoperating in shallow water the observation chamber could be placed atthe end of one of the side arms instead of at the end of tube 11, or asmall submarine such as is shown in my Patent #1,356,773 could beinserted in place of the cross member 5.

What I claim is:-

1. In a submarine salvage and recovery apparatus, a surface vesselprovided with two semisubmersible hollow arms, one of said arms arrangedat each side of said vessel and each arm having one of its ends attachedto said vessel, the opposite ends of said arms interconnected, one ofsaid arms" providing a passageway ffQfjthB .descent of operatives"beneath :the surface of the sea, and the other .arm providing a duct:for the recov ry of objects from the bottom ofthe sea, and means forraising and lovveri-ngsaidarms as .aunit. .2. In .a submarine salvageand recovery apparatus, asunface vessel provided withtwosemisubmersible' hollow .;arms, g,one of said arms arranged. ateachside:of :said vessel and each arm pivotally attached at :one of its endstosaid vessel, the opposite ends of saidrarms rigidly secured together,means associated with said arms for the'reception of :water ballast, a,combined diverfs compartment :and observation chamber adjustablysupported between saidarms, means including one of said armsproviding a passageway for operatives between said vessel and chamber,means :for raising and lowering said arms, and means for adjusting saidchamber with respect to saidarms.

3. In :a submarine salvage and recovery apparatusa surface vessel, ;apairof arms pivotally attached at their @inboardends to opposite sidesof said vessel, ;a cross :member rigidly connecting said arms at theiroutboard ends, anadditional crosszmember arranged between said;arms,asubmersible tube :pivotally, supported .by said lastnamed cross-member,means for ,lowering and raising said arms, :and :means for ;lowering andraising said -.tube ;relative1y to said arms.

=4. In :a submarine salvage and recovery apparatus, -a;-surfaeevesseLeemi-submersible tubular arms pivotally attachedat-theirinboardends to opposite sides of said vessel, cross membersconnecting the outboard endsofsaid arms, .-one of said cross .membersincluding tubular portions so-arranged asito be capable ofrelativeswivelling movement, a combined observation and divers compartment, -atubular member flexibly connected withone portion of saidcrossmemberwand with'said compartment andprOVidinga passageway;,including said portion and one of said arms whereby operatives maypass-between-said vessel and compartment, a suction pipe carried bytheother :portion of saidcross member, meansfor raising and lowering saidarms,-and means for raising andlowering-said compartment-and suctionpipe independently of each: other.-

5. A submarine salvage.- andirecovery alqparatus as claimed in claim 4,provided with .meanslto swing the combined-observationanddiveflscompartment in any direction idesired within the limitsofitsswivellingand-fiexible connections.

6. A submarine. salvageand recovery apparatus as claimed .in claim 4,provided with means to pla e the combined observatio and divers ,eonvpartment in any suitabl pos t on withi th limits ,of ,its connectionswith the surface vessel,

and doors t enabl d vers :t l av o e te com ined observati n and diverscomp men .In a submarine salvage and c ve epparatussa surfac vessel, s mubmer b ar having their inboard en 'Di Qtally atta he to pposit sides ofsaid vessel. mean fo l ri and raising said arms, and fenders extendingabove and outboard from said :vessel beyond the inboard ends ofsaid armsto r ote themrrom injury and to permit their being raised or loweredwith other ves el lyin alon ide sai .s face vessel.

:8. In a submarine salva e and r cove y anparatus. a surface vessel,semi-subme s bl ape peratus having its inboard portion attached t saidvessel, means for raising and l we in sa semi=submersible apparatus, fnd carri d .by

said vess l and e t ndin utboard of said anparatus, said .fendersprovided with ioufihioning means to prevent injury {to-said apparatusfrom other vessels .movedalongside said surface vessel. I :9. In asubmarine salvage and recovery apparatus, .a surface vessel..semiesubmers l apparatus attached ,thereto, structural frame membersarranged ,-at vthe sides of {said vessel, said frame members extendingbelow the Water line, fair .leads carried bysaid frame members, moor--ing lines passed throughsaid fair-leads andheld thereby wellbelowqthenormal draft of thekeels of vessels which may come alongside ofthe said surfacevessel, said mooring lines due to their submergence .bysaid fair leads adapted to counterbalance the pullof water currents, ;toprevent excessive inclinationof the apparatus when the semi-submersibleapparatus is submerged.

i 10. aIn asubmarine salvage and recoveryapparatus, a surface vessel,semi submersible apparatus carried .by said vessel, structural ;-framemembers carried atoppositesides ,of the surface vessel and adjustablerelatively thereto, said frame members :normally extending below thewater line, fair-leads fitted :to the-lQwer-ends of said frame members,mooring lines passed throughsaid -fair leads and held ,thereby 'belowthe-surfaceof the water, the submergenceof said lines serving :toprevent tippingof the surface vessel in strongiside currentswhen the 1submersible apparatus is submerged,.andqmeansdor raising said framemembers above the water line when-notainiuse.

SIMON LAKE.

